Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Race for the Cure
by Kroxn
Summary: Two children, an oddly marked Bulbasaur and a shiny Mudkip, embark on a mission to help save the world. When a strange illness begins driving pokemon mad, pressure falls to the old trading town-turned-base of Sanctuary. But it this disease a simple bug, or something more sinister? /see my profile Kro and Nuyt's refs\\
1. Chapter 1

_**This story contains "real world" terms for pokemon based on their looks/relation to real life animals. Please keep this in mind, it made it a lot easier to write when I didn't have to rely on solely the type of the pokemon.**_

 _ **Fair reviews appreciated!**_

* * *

Peaceful, that one word could perfectly explain the small village of Rafflori. Despite the strange name, it was the closest one could get to true serenity. Only about a dozen pokemon called it home, but recently the humble settlement had been trodden upon. For it was the only place where rare plants grew like weeds; and the culmination of healers within Salvation-an old trading town-had regularly sent teams of pokemon there to collect whatever the villagers had gathered that week.

Each household took shifts assembling the offering, and it just so happened that it was the resident healer's turn on that rainy day. Though, if an outsider were to just glance at the pair heading out, they'd be excused for thinking that they had met the village police officer-or, heck: maybe a miner?

A Gigalith towered over a comparatively miniscule Mudkip. Yet, there was absolutely no fear in those tiny blue eyes. In fact, that very Mudkip could be seen dashing under the thunderous feet of the monster all the way to the forest. And while the Gigalith kept an eye on the pink figure, there was little hesitation in his footsteps.

"Nuyt, I think we should focus on finding berries." The low rumble of the massive pokemon's voice practically shook the ground. But he was simply met with a giggle.

"I'm looking! I just ain't finding." The shiny pokemon replied, his head tossing from side to side before a big grin came to his face. "Oh, I got something!" With that, he was off.

Gigalith watched his charge gallop off, a soft sigh escaping him before he started picking some Oran berries from a nearby bush. His maw opened as his great head delicately swiveled around the shrub to find branches rich with the sweet fruit. Just as he started to carefully tug the branch out, a loud cry made his jaw lock.

Coughing up splinters, the healer rushed over towards the sound. He prayed that it wasn't what he thought, that Nuyt was okay.

"G-Giga! W-What do I do?" Nuyt cried as he alternatively stomped his forepaws, this was nothing new to Gigalith so he lowered his head and shushed the child. Despite the pup's cheerful demeanor-and profession-he was awful at managing stress.

"First, take deep breaths. Then tell me wha-"

"C-C'mon, s-somebody's down!" Those words caught the healer's ears, and he thudded after the skittish mudkip with wide eyes. Within half a minute, Gigalith could see what had gotten his charge so frightened.

A lone bulbasaur lay awkwardly sprawled next to a sizable rock, the grey stone was stained with crimson that matched the liquid dripping from the child's head. Despite Gigalith's instincts, he quickly asked Nuyt to check for life. This what the boy was training for, and there was no way the healer was going to risk squishing the already damaged youth.

Nuyt ran over to the other child, his left paw raising to press lightly into the bulbasaur's neck. And after a long moment of eerie silence, "T-They're breathing!"

"Good," Gigalith craned his neck towards a nearby tree, tugging off a branch before setting it next to the children. "Set these on the wound, then I need you to run and get Lucario."

Tiny pink paws worked fast, finishing the rough patch job before switching off to carry the pup all the way to the village. Gigalith watched Nuyt leave, then he looked back down to the strange bulbasaur. The markings were all wrong, clusters of dark green were not found in scale-like structures: but instead they stretched in bands around the child's body and legs.

Though that wasn't the most troubling, as one passive glance over the pokemon's body revealed the biggest mystery. "W-What?" Gigalith leaned down, nudging aside the cub's right paw to get a better view. There, to his horror, was a shackle. Chain still attached and everything.

"What the hell…" he growled, enraged that someone would do this to a helpless child. It was positively disgusting.

* * *

"Thank you again, Lucario. I'm terribly sorry for backing out of our duties. I-"

"Don't worry about it," the shorter pokemon waved the healer's worry away, glancing over towards the bed of grass where the unusual bulbasaur lay. Nuyt was carefully cleaning the head wound with a weakened Water Gun, wiping the blood off every now and again with his paw.

"Don't worry," Gigalith said softly, pulling Lucario out of his trance. "I'll head back out once they are stable, I should be able to collect some oran berries before it gets too dark."

But the bipedal pokemon simply shook his head, "Naw. Me and Scyther will just swap shifts with ya. Been meaning to get out of the house anyway."

Gigalith smiled, "That's very kind of you. If all goes well we should have three hands for this upcoming spin."

Lucario nodded instinctually, his eyes once again trailing towards the children. Nuyt had finished changing the leaves for a proper bandage, and he was now laying a few feet from the patient. He gave a weak smile, but it quickly faded. Something wasn't right. This bulbasaur wasn't right.

"Lucario? Are you alright?" Gigialith asked, catching the attention of Nuyt who lifted his head from his paws.

"Huh? Oh yes. I was just mapping out some routes." He replied, holding back a sigh of relief when Nuyt settled back down. Gigalith was mother-henning him the whole way out the door, until Lucario finally assured the healer that everything was perfectly fine.

Hearing the voices slowly die down, the pink pup spared a glance towards the door then carefully got to his feet. His tiny legs were little help in speed, but they made up for it in their near silent steps. Though, he didn't recall the kitchen being this far before.

"Sincerely, thank you for understanding. This hopefully won't take too long, but both I and Nuyt need to be here should the child need something." The massive monster said, shuffling his feet in an attempt to be closer to the ground. It was tricky being so tall, especially with pokemon unfamiliar with him. But everyone around the village knew how soft he truly was.

"Hey, we're a community. If we don't help each other, who will?" Lucario smiled, genuinely this time. "Besides, the world's going to hell. We all have to stick together." It was something rarely talked about, but everybody knew the chaos just outside the confines of their village.

 _The illness couldn't get them here, surely. It was simply too remote._

"Yes, and that is why within the week I'll be heading out on shift. That gives us five days, and if the cub isn't ready by then…" Gigalith paused, the mere thought of that possibility scared him. The head injury was pretty severe; but if any good was to come of it, at least it was fresh. That meant no infection could settle before being washed away by Nuyt's water gun.

But the gentle giant wasn't left to struggle very long, a calm hand brushed his foot as Lucario offered some of his aura to Gigalith. Sometimes it was easy to forget that the physical body was not the only thing subject to injury.

"Thank you, again. But, I should probably-"

"Already gone," the biped shrugged lightheartedly, turning around before beginning his trek back home. "You take care, Gigalith. Tell Nuyt that everything's going to be okay."

"Will do!" The healer called back, waiting a few moments before finally stepping back inside his hut. "Nuyt, are you hungr-" he paused as he caught the tiny amphibian gnawing on an apple core.

Caught red-handed, the pup simply gulped down what little was in his mouth and then forced an anxious grin. "S-Still fresh!" he chuckled softly, swishing his tail behind him before finally deflating under Gigalith's stare.

"Nuyt, please wait for me before you go digging into the cupboards. You'll make yourself sick." the elder pokemon said gently, he only wanted that mistake to have happened once.

"I-I know, I just didn't wanna bug you." Nuyt replied timidly, that and the fact that he never knew when was a proper time to interrupt an adult conversation. Grown ups just talk **so** much.

"You're forgiven. Now," Gigalith lifted his head to reach on top of one of the cabinets, "Wouldn't you rather have this?" he presented the child with a fresh Perfect Apple.

Nuyt's eyes went big whilst he leapt to his paws, his rudder tail shaking from side to side as his tiny feet started to tap on the wood floor. Luckily Gigalith was humane and didn't make his charge wait for long, the apple was set down and seemed to have never touched the ground as the pink blur was on it in a heartbeat.

"Than ooo!" was the last slurred words the healer would hear before Nuyt disappeared into the other room. This was a bit concerning since the small mudkip often neglected to pick up after himself, and rotting food was not a risk they could to take with the patient.

"Nuyt, please bring that back out her-" words caught in the pokemon's throat when he came to the bedroom doorway. The pup was carefully setting up a grass nest a few feet in front of the bed for the bulbasaur. It was far too small for Nuyt, so what was he making it for-oh, oh sweet Arceus. "Child, never change."

Nuyt tilted his head to gaze up at his mentor, the Perfect Apple was set-untouched-on the grass nest. The skin of the fruit glistened from the soft spray the pup had sprinkled on it. An adorable attempt to keep it fresh. "Do you think they will like it?"

Gigalith lowered his head to nuzzle his charge, "They will love it." he assured the child, smiling softly when Nuyt gave off a gentle growl. That was his version of a purr, something he'd picked up from a vacationing Meowth last summer.

"Try and get some rest, I'll wake you if our patient's condition changes." He promised, right after he earned a yawn from the pup.

"C-Can I stay here though?" Nuyt asked in the midst of his yawn.

"As long as you sleep."

"I'm going." he mumbled, laying his head back down on his paws with a heavy sigh. He opened one eye slowly to gaze at the newcomer, a small smile coming to his face before he finally settled down.

"Goodnight, child." Gigalith whispered, grabbing a nearby cloth before draping it over the pup. He then went to head back to the kitchen, pausing at the doorway. He looked back towards the slumbering bulbasaur, "Please hold on. I won't let anyone harm you again."


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey. Are you okay?_

 ** _H-Huh? Who's-?_**

 _Oh! You can hear me! I've waited so long to hear your voice.._

 ** _…_**

 _It's all right, Kro._

 ** _!_**

 _We are in your mind, well sort of. I'm not really even supposed to be talking to you right now. But...I had to tell you. You are in danger._

 ** _WHAT?_**

 _Don't panic! I will protect you, but you will have to get strong on your own. We aren't as strong as we once were._

 ** _I-I have no idea what you are-_**

 _I have to go. Goodbye old friend…_

 ** _WAIT-!_**

* * *

The sudden jump from the bulbasaur earned a yelp from the pink mudkip, who had been carefully dressing their head wound. Though the surprise quickly wore off when Nuyt saw the fear in the patient's eyes. "Oh geez! Hey, it's okay!"

This however didn't really seem to comfort the distressed pokemon. But when the bulbasaur tried to stand up, they only made it a few inches off the ground before falling back onto the grass nest.

"H-Hey! Don't move too much!" the pup insisted, applying pressure to the bandages in an attempt to stop the bleeding. The bulbasaur growled anxiously, pain clouding their conscious as tears welled in their bi-colored irises. "I-I know, just gotta make sure everything stays clean…"

After about half a minute-which felt like an hour to the cub-mudkip finally pulled his paws off their head. Bulbasaur panted heavily, claws dulling with every nervous drag against the wood floor. But they were brought back to the present by the shiny pokemon nudging a pristine apple in front of their nose.

Tight pupils stared at the apple for a good minute before finally rounding out to stare hopefully towards the pup. Nuyt gestured with his paw, a nervous smile on his face the whole time.

The bulbasaur stayed still for the longest time, gaze locked on the fruit as if trying to decide whether it was worth the risk. Though, one growl from their belly was all it took for the pokemon to take a big bite out of the Perfect Apple. A pale-pink tongue lapped over the their maw as they tried to get every drop of juice.

"See? It's pretty good huh?" The mudkip asked, tail wagging behind him as he sat in front of the other. The bulbasaur nodded, pawing at their head to relieve an itch. Only to pause when they heard the rattle of metal, one look was all it took for it to click.

They were wearing a shackle.

"Oh, hey don't worry about that!" The water pup interjected, fidgeting a bit in place as if fighting the urge to directly intervene. He had to be gentle with a patient in such a fragile state.

"Nuyt? Child please keep your voice down." The deep voice nearly shook the ground, just the weight was enough to put the patient on high alert. And things only got worse as the massive figure showed up in the doorway. Even bent down, the mountain pokemon blotted out what little sunlight came through the windows.

Though the shiny mudkip wasn't really affected by the monster's presence, a big ol' grin on his face as he spun around to face Gigalith. "It's okay, Giga. They're awake!"

This seemed to catch Gigalith off guard; but the second he caught sight of the wide-eyed bulbasaur, the shock melted away to instead switch to unwavering compassion. "I'm sorry, child. I didn't mean to frighten you."

Luckily he was not alone in this front; Nuyt swiftly bounced over to the other child, sporting an inviting smile. "It's alright! That's just Gigalith, he's the bestest healer in the whole world!"

A timid laugh echoed from the rock monster's throat, "Oh, Nuyt. I wish that were true."

"It is, though?" Nuyt replied quickly, the hearty laugh from Gigalith was enough to get a hiccupy giggle from the bulbasaur.

* * *

"C'mon, Kro!" The excited yap of the mudkip caught the attention of a small group of children, they had been talking amongst themselves in the middle of the village.

The striped bulbasaur followed Nuyt out from the small hut, the bandage on their head only there to keep the wound clean; otherwise they were simply in the rehilbiltation stage. Which was pretty amazing considering they were a day ahead of Gigalith's estimate, though neither Nuyt or Gigalith would look a gift Rapidash in the mouth.

The four waiting kids approached the pair, one trailing behind the rest. Venipede was the first to speak, "Hey, you're pretty cool!" he chirped while Ponyta sniffed at Kro's head curiously.

"I know right? Kro is the coolest!" Nuyt grinned proudly, rudder tail swishing behind him while Kro allowed Ponyta to get a good sense of their scent. They had been told that they had a pleasant smell, so it only seemed polite to share.

Though, their attention was quickly pulled from the three new pokemon when they saw a small Poochyena behind the ranks. The canine pokemon pawed idly at the grass, staring past the ground in a distant manner.

"Well, we'll have to sssee if they can keep up! Ready for a rematch?" Ekans prompted as he presented a worn cloth on his rattle.

"Hey! It's my turn to start!" Venipede interrupted.

"You guys, it doesn't matter y'know. Cause I'm gonna win either way." Ponyta chuckled, raising a hoof in front of her chest with a confident grin.

"I think Kro should start, it's their first time after all." Nuyt stated, earning a reluctant nod from the others. "Okay, Kro. You ready to pl-huh?" he whined in confusion when he looked to his side and found that the bulbasaur wasn't there anymore.

"O-O-Oh! I-I'm so-s-sorry!" All four kids looked towards the source of the stuttering, and were all silent for a moment while watching Kro observe Poochyena. "I-I d-d-didn't see you th-there, I-I…"

Kro hesitated at first, but then they rested their paw on top of the pup's. Poochyena looked up to the bulbasaur in sheer fear, but then that worry melted away and he sniffled softly. Kro offered a gentle smile to Poochyena, which led to the pup giggling anxiously. "T-Thank you…"

Kro turned their head towards Nuyt, appearing guilty. Though the young healer simply nodded before speaking back up, "Okay guys, we're down two players. But that's okay! Ponyta can be on my team."

"H-Hey! Don't leave me with that snake!" Venipede squealed indignantly, which earned laughs from the other three kids.

Meanwhile, Kro sat next to Poochyena. And there they stayed while Nuyt and the other kids played a game they called Goalie.

It was a little confusing for Kro, but all they really cared about was keeping an eye on Nuyt. This was the first time they had seen the mudkip in action, and honestly they were pretty impressed. Nuyt was really fast, like almost on par with Ponyta. Though his turns were much sloppier, as evident when he went for the scarf but kept skidding regardless of the fact that Ekans-and the scarf-were already on the other side of the square.

Ekans cackled while Nuyt shook off the dirt from his skin, "Still as sloppy as ever! C'mon, dig your tiny paws in and let's get goi-HEY!" Ekans shrieked when Ponyta swiped the scarf from his grasp.

"You should stop gloating, and focus on winning!" The equine called back, only just avoiding trampling Venipede when the bug tried to trip her. Though it looked as if things weren't going to be that easy.

"Yeah! Bring it over here, Ponyta!" Nuyt barked excitedly, running after his teammate with renewed vigour.

As the kids played, Kro noticed two figures out of the corner of their eye. It was two pokemon they didn't recognize, and all that initially registered was the color of one of them. A pale green.

"W-Wow, Nuyt is p-pretty good. I t-think he might a-actually w-win. How b-bout you K-Kr-K-Kro?" Poochyena shivered when he saw the distant look in the grass pokemon's eyes. He followed their gaze, preparing himself to see something terrifying. But he was baffled to just see Scyther and Lucario. "K-Kro, that's just S-Scyther and Lucario. I-I mean, Scyther's k-kinda grumpy b-but…"

Kro's whole body started to shudder, they took a few steps back before finally bolting the opposite direction. The voices of the other children becoming drowned out by a distant chanting.

* * *

This was not good, the forest was a dangerous place that only got worse the further in you went. Only the brave entered such a place alone. Or someone running from the shadows.

Thankfully, Gigalith was quick to come to his charge's aid. Nuyt had bolted after the bulbasaur the second they'd ran, and it was good that Ponyta has the foresight to alert the healer. The small pup wasn't alone for more than a minute before the massive pokemon caught up to him. "Nuyt! Slow down!"

Though the mudkip wasn't going to be persuaded, his friend was out in the very forest that had nearly killed them a few days prior. There was no way he'd stop until he found them.

Gigalith slowed his own pace, if Kro was nearby he didn't want to jar them with his thunderous steps. Nuyt was used to it, able to jump with the rhythm rather than stay there and ride with the trembling earth. But with Kro's head injury, he couldn't risk harming them unintentionally.

The healer scanned the surrounding area, his head jumping back towards Nuyt when his tail thumped lightly on the dirt. Gigalith approached his apprentice slowly, knowing full well what the gentle thump meant.

Nuyt didn't want to startle them.

Gigalith's eyes widened as he saw the missing bulbasaur, their back to the duo. The trembling in their legs practically broke his heart. But that pain was dulled with the swelling pride for Nuyt, who was slowly inching towards Kro on his belly.

A soft chirp left Nuyt's mouth as he tilted his head towards his shivering companion. Kro's head snapped to the sound, but their anxiety faded slowly as Nuyt whispered comfortingly to them. Within a few minutes, Kro pressed their forehead against Nuyt's. Tears streaming down their face while Nuyt purred gently.

Gigalith allowed the two some privacy, Nuyt was best suited for this kind of thing. Ever since they'd found Kro, the young mudkip hadn't so much as left their side. And while Kro is appreciative of Gigalith too; it wasn't until he would leave the hut that he'd hear their weak voice talking to Nuyt.

There was something growing between the two children, and honestly Gigalith was glad. Everyone needs someone they can trust, he would know that better than anyone.

A half-hour passed before the trio made their way home, both children set up between the healer's front feet for protection. It was more of a comfort thing, to put something between Kro and whatever startled them.

Nuyt walked beside his friend, offering his shoulder should they need the support. But Kro was more tired than anything, every little step made their eyelids heavier. They went as far as they could before finally collapsing, "G-Giga!"

The healer froze, backing up to see what had happened. One look at his charge and he nodded; Gigalith lowered his head and gently slipped his maw over Kro's body. Once he had a good grip on them, he walked the rest of the way home. Nuyt trotted beside his mentor, soft blue eyes staring up at his passed out companion with a small whine.

 _What had scared them so badly?_

* * *

 _ **Well, there's the second chapter for ya! As before, fair reviews appreciated! Plus those reviews will help keep this story going, as it fuels my drive to continue writing!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter wouldn't have been possible without _Whispersofadragon_ _'s_ help, the chapter should now be fixed and readable!**

* * *

"Where is he!?" A young Gogoat cried, the skiddo beside him shying away from the other kids' gaze as his big brother stared Ekans down.

"You gotta calm down, they had an emergen-"

"MY MOM'S DYING!" The shout caused both Skiddo and Poochyena to jump, and Ekans gave the older kid a sympathetic frown.

"I'm sorry, but the truth is that we don't know where they went." Ekans explained, his tail laying beside him so that there was something separating the enraged Gogoat from Poochyena.

"H-He should be here! Where people can find him if they're sick!" Gogoat growled whilst holding back tears, his teeth clenched as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "I wish we had someone else instead of that stupid gigalith.."

Just before anyone could speak, the tell tale thuds of heavy feet shook the ground. It was subtle, as Gigalith was always very careful with his movements, but every villager could recognize that pattern by now.

It was almost physically impossible how quick Gogoat's tune changed; he galloped over to the unlikely healer a little too fast for his little brother. "G-Gigalith!"

"Hmm?" The massive rock monster hummed, tilting his head towards the kid with gentle red irises. Only then remembering that Kro was in his grasp, he mumbled something incoherent to the child before heading towards his hut.

"NO!" Gogoat leapt in front of the healer, stray tears almost appearing to dissipate in his frustration. "My mom's sick! You need to help her!"

Nuyt looked up from Skiddo, soft blue eyes portraying his anxiety. Though he straightened up when his mentor addressed him, it would be gibberish to anyone else but not the pup. "W-What about Kro?"

"Arceus! Just hurry up!" Gogoat brayed, shoving the shiny mudkip away from the healer with a growl. Nuyt whined, looking back to Gigalith with a tremble. But that look the healer gave him, that was all he needed.

"O-Okay, let's go!" Nuyt barked determinedly, bolting away so quick that Gogoat yelped in surprise. But then he and Skiddo raced after the mudkip, a hopeful smile on his face.

* * *

It was a long walk to Gogoat's house, but the constant orders from said pokemon kept Nuyt energized. Even the beauty of the mossy hut wouldn't distract him; his paws stamped into the dirt to come to a stop. Instantly he slipped into an almost different persona. "Do you have berries?"

"U-Uh, yeah! I think my mom's garden still has some." Gogoat replied.

"Go get as many as you can, I'll try and figure out what's made her ill." Nuyt said, earning a firm nod from the brothers before they galloped off behind the house. Once they were gone, Nuyt took a deep breath and then sighed heavily. "Y-You got this, Nuyt…"

He nudged open the creaky door with his shoulder, his paw subconsciously brushing the gem on his scarf as he entered the living room. The gem glowed dimly, illuminating the room in a blue light. Nuyt stared down at his scarf with wide eyes, "H-Huh?"

Just as quickly as it came, the light faded. Leaving the mudkip confused for a moment before a wheeze caught his attention. Nuyt hurried over to what appeared to be the bedroom, his body freezing at the sight before him.

The elderly gogoat lay on a fresh bed of grass, thick red liquid oozing from her mouth. Her face was contorted into a look of sheer terror, eyes wide with miniscule pupils that stared at nothing.

"N-No…" Nuyt whimpered, tears streamed down his face as he took a shaky step back.

"Hey, Nuyt! We found some Pecha berries!" The mudkip flinched upon hearing Gogoat's voice, usually Gigalith was the one to tell the family. Now that task fell upon him.

Nuyt walked outside the hut, his head low as he stepped outside to meet the brothers. He wished Gigalith was here. "G-Gogoat...there's something I have to tell you.."

"W-What?" Skiddo peeped anxiously, his older brother frozen in place upon hearing that tone in Nuyt's voice.

"Y-Your mom i-" Nuyt didn't get the chance to finish before a savage screech erupted from behind him. Wide eyes watched as the elderly goat leapt towards him, only to be stopped when a large rock slammed into her gut.

"MOM!" The brothers screamed, dropping the berries to run to their injured mother. Though they were quickly blocked by a massive foot.

"G-Giga!" Nuyt cried, running to his mentor's side where Kro was trying to help the healer keep the brothers away from their mother.

"LET ME THROUGH! M-MOM!" Gogoat sobbed, trying to get past but to no avail.

"You all must get to the square, Ms. Gogoat is infe-" Gigalith was interrupted when the gogoat slammed her head into his own. Blood spattered on Nuyt and Kro's face as a unknown object flew away from the healer.

Kro tackled Nuyt out of the way of Gigalith's falling body, the dust kicked up by the massive pokemon collapsing covering the pair as they both coughed. Nuyt looked to Kro with timid blue eyes, "T-Thanks, Kro. B-But we gotta help-" his voice caught in his throat as he stared past Kro's head.

The bulbasaur whined at the horrified expression on their friend's face, but upon turning their head their heart dropped.

"DAD!" Nuyt screamed, his voice shaking the very foundation of the forest as Kro stared at him with tearfilled eyes.

* * *

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